A bunch of wild catnip. Notice the heart-shaped leaves and the clusters of tiny white flowers on the top of the herb.

Honey and bumble bees will be often seen pollinating wild catnip. Here a honey bees busies itself on the plant.

One satisfied wild catnip customer...

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where to find wild catnip

Here at Your Wild Michigan we recently showed you where and when to go out and gather wild black raspberries.Now, we're going to go out to the woods to gather another wild-grower to delight another creature in your household. Those with paws and whiskers and fur (no, not dads before they shave in the morning).Cats!This time of year catnip is growing everywhere. Like wild black raspberries you can find it along the borders of forests or woods, along the side of the road, on hillsides, in parking lots, in the middle of giant juniper bushes, near the dumpsters... You get the basic idea: it's everywhere.In the genus of Nepeta (wild catnip is Nepeta cataria) and originally native to Africa, Europe and Asia, catnip (or catmint) grows all over the United States and is a perennial: so once it's planted and you don't pull it out by the roots - it'll keep coming back year after year.Catnip works on most, if not all, cats. It seems to do two things: excite them and stimulate their breathing. If you haven't seen a cat "on" catnip, you haven't lived. It's a lot of fun for all involved.

match for a good batch

Now, all you have to do, in order to keep your kitty in good supply for the next year, is find the stuff. The best way to identify it is to look at the photos here and match it with the plants you find in the wild. The biggest giveaway that you're dealing with catnip is the tiny clusters of white or light-purple flowers on their tops. You can usually spot this first as you drive or walk along. Tiny little clusters of flowers. Once you think you've spotted a bunch, pinch off a leaf or two and give it a sniff. If it has a definite minty odor: you've got catnip.

Again, if you're on your own land, harvest away all the catnip you can find. If you're on private or public owned land, get permission from the owners first. Usually no one will care if you carry away a few plants of catnip that most others would be hard pressed to identify as anything but weeds. And, again, don't rip them out of the ground. Cut them a few inches above the ground and they'll grow back next year.

The last step is to dry them out. Of course you can give your cat some fresh catnip and they'll go nuts for it, but once dried, it's easier to store and will still retain most of its potent punch for your pussycat.